Is a Saatva Mattress Worth It?
This is in no way a sponsored post (I certainly wish it was)
Is there anything more terrifying than buying a new mattress?
Ok maybe there are a few things, but when it comes to home updates, purchasing a new mattress was almost as scary as refinishing our 130 year old hardwood floors. You spend half of your life on the damn thing, and in the era of Covid, no one is itching to plant themselves on a soft piece of furniture that hundreds of other people have been on. The options are completely overwhelming. Memory foam is so popular that we can barely remember how it felt to sleep on springs. How the heck are you supposed to choose?
The last time we purchased a mattress was when we moved into our old apartment in 2018. Ben was coming off of his bachelor pad days, and I was still so fresh out of college that I could barely afford rent (not like that’s changed for me). We ended up buying some random mattress in the Macy’s 4th of July sale… I think it was about $500. It came rolled up in a little cardboard box, and made the entire apartment reek for days as it off-gassed and became an actual mattress. I don’t think it was ever comfortable.
Fast forward 3.5 years later, and we are desperate to get rid of it. It was causing us actual physical pain. On my side of the bed there was a crater in the shape of my sideways body that kept me from being able to move into any other position (I’m a true side sleeper. I only sleep on my back when I have to switch sides and I’m too sleepy to make it all the way from one side to the other). My hips were completely destroyed, and my back and shoulders weren’t faring much better.
Our first line of defense was purchasing the down mattress topper from Parachute. The reviews were so promising, we truly believed that we could fix an outright bad mattress with some feathers. Needless to say, it didn’t work, but it did make things a little more bearable. Besides the fact that it eventually also felt uncomfortable, I hated the way it looked if I didn’t spend 15 minutes a day fluffing it.
Even after copious amounts of fluffing, it always appeared sunken in where we slept. It may not bother everyone, but I love a nice, smooth bed.
I’m happy to report that while I was not able to return the mattress topper, it has found new life as Darcie’s wildly expensive dog bed:
So finally, after countless discussions and lots of anxiety (and maybe a little crying on my part - who else becomes an actual infant if they aren’t sleeping well?), we finally decided it was time. We needed to buy a new freaking mattress. There wasn’t even time to celebrate before we were pacing around the house, Googling like our lives depended on it. I spent hours in the black pit of indecision. It is SO hard to find good information as a consumer. Even if you search the name of this post: “Is a Saatva Mattress Worth It?”, you’re going to see top results that are most likely paid or highly influenced reviews from other companies. Wading through all of that to find actual, personal reviews is astonishingly difficult. It still felt like taking a risk ordering this mattress, even after all of the research we had done.
So is It Worthwhile?
The short answer: 100%
The long answer:
Sustainability & Materials
I noticed that throughout my searches Saatva always appeared as one of the absolute best choices. I saw a lot of hubbub about the Purple mattress as well, but I was so put off from foam at that point I didn’t even really consider it. I loved the company name as a yoga practitioner… it essentially means peacefulness, bliss. They use organic components, are relatively aware of their footprint as a company, and their mattresses are qualified as low VOC. These were all really huge things for me. I hate the smell of off-gassing, and I also hate destroying the environment in the name of consumerism. Saatva seemed like a safe bet on both counts.
Here is a post from 2018 when they won a sustainability award from the Business Intelligence Group that tells you a little bit more about their sustainability initiatives. Obviously that article was written by the company, so it’s our duty as consumers to look into it further. I found no evidence that what they are claiming is not accurate, however, without a really deep dive and the right resources, it’s hard to know for sure. I decided to put my trust in them.
Customer Service
We ended up ordering the 11” king size Saatva Classic in luxury firm. The company was immediately a pleasure to work with. The lead time was great, as was the delivery company they used. They set up the bed frame, boxspring, and mattress for us. They even took away our old mattress for no charge.
The best part about purchasing from them was their 180 day sleep trial. I was completely confident that we were going to end up with a mattress we loved, even though the luxury firm wasn’t quite right for me. I sleep on my side, and I prefer to feel like I’m sleeping on a cloud. They told us to give it a few weeks to break in because they are quite firm when they first arrive. It was no trouble at all to call up and exchange, and our exchange was pretty extreme.
Our second time around, we asked for the 14” thick split king option, because I wanted something softer and Ben preferred something firm. Again, within a couple of weeks we were on the phone scheduling the delivery. It came exactly when they said it would with no problems.
I was slightly worried about trading in mattresses, as I didn’t want to be wasteful. The company discloses on their website that they either sell used mattresses at a discounted rate to their employees, or donate them to Veterans. Either way, I was so thrilled to see that it wouldn’t end up in the trash somewhere.
Comfort & Build
As for the mattress itself, it’s quite lovely. You feel very supported even with the plush version that I now have. If you’re worried about which firmness to get, they have a very helpful quiz that takes everything into consideration, including your weight and sleeping position.
I will say, even the softest version of the Saatva Classic is not exactly soft. They give it a 3/10 on the firmness scale (10 being the firmest), but to me it feels more like a solid 5. Perhaps it will change as time goes on, and I’ll be sure to keep this updated regularly incase anything changes. Unfortunately, I don’t feel like I’m going to sleep on the underbelly of a giant kitty. I know they say that as you get older you need more support, but at what cost? Saatva does offer mattress toppers as well, which may be a valid choice for anyone who really wants that pillowtop feel.
The build of the mattress is actually really beautiful, from the stitch-work to the quilted top. It looks gorgeous without sheets and basically begs you to come hither. The edges are extraordinarily firm, which will extend the overall life of the mattress (so I hear) and also makes it nice and easy to get out of bed if you’re feeling less than agile.
Price
We paid about $2,400 all in, including tax and delivery. They waived the delivery/pickup fee for our exchange, as there was a small defect in the first mattress we received. Obviously we have come a long way from our discount Macy’s mattress. It is absolutely an investment. For me, there are few more important places to spend money than on your bed. A crappy night’s sleep can quickly change your day from manageable to horrible. Sleep deprivation can contribute to and exacerbate both mental and physical illness. It is so important to sleep. Henceforth, it was important for me to spend good money on a good quality mattress.
So yeah, this one gets Nicki’s stamp of approval. Please feel free to message me or comment with any questions! This was such a tough decision to make and I’d be more than happy to help anyone in the same position.
Until next time,
Nicki
